Riot Games appears to be developing a League of Legends action RPG behind closed doors, according to newly discovered job listings posted to the company’s careers page. Two contract positions at Riot’s Shanghai studio—one for a Combat Game Designer and another for a CG animator—indicate an early-stage project is taking shape, with both roles highlighting familiarity with the League of Legends IP as a desirable qualification. Neither listing officially names the project, but the emphasis on action gameplay mechanics and Runeterra expertise strongly indicates the title will be situated in the League universe. The discovery comes as Riot continues expanding the franchise outside of its original MOBA roots, having recently recruited Raymond Bartos, a former World of Warcraft lead producer, to oversee its long-delayed League MMO.
Shanghai Studio’s Confidential Initiative Comes to Light
The two contract listings found on Riot’s careers page reveal tantalising details about the Shanghai-based studio’s mysterious undertaking. The Combat Game Designer role actively looks for someone with extensive knowledge of action games and ARPGs, with particular emphasis on crafting compelling combat feel, responsive controls, and advanced AI systems. This suggests Riot is developing something technically complex from scratch, using Unreal Engine as the development platform. The job description indicates the team is still in initial phases, continuously refining fundamental mechanics rather than polishing an existing foundation.
Alongside the designer role, Riot is recruiting a CG animator experienced in stylised character work—a hiring choice that hints at the artistic trajectory the project may take. Given League of Legends’ unique visual aesthetic, this animator would probably help establish a unified visual approach for the action RPG. Whilst contract roles at this developmental stage typically signal projects remain years away from launch, the combination of these two positions suggests Riot has invested significant effort to investigating what an action-focused League experience might entail. The hiring strategy indicates the studio is assembling a dedicated, albeit small, core team to prototype and validate core gameplay concepts.
- Action Game Designer role concentrates on action-RPG systems development
- CG animator brings stylized character animation expertise to project
- Initial research and development suggests years remain before potential release
- Unreal Engine chosen as main development platform for title
Combat Design and Technical Specifications
What Job Postings Show
The Combat Game Designer job listing offers crucial insight into the project’s mechanical ambitions. Candidates need to show deep expertise in action games and ARPGs, with specific focus on creating engaging combat feel—a hallmark of acclaimed games in the genre. The role explicitly requires building and iterating on combat mechanics from scratch using Unreal Engine, suggesting Riot intends to develop something distinctly different from League of Legends’ turn-based MOBA mechanics. The focus on AI development suggests the studio is designing advanced enemy AI systems, potentially for single-player and co-operative experiences rather than purely competitive gameplay.
The technical requirements outlined in the listings reveal a systematic, process-driven production strategy. Candidates are expected to work within a small, early-stage team where personal input carry substantial weight. The focus on “combat feel” rather than simply mechanical balance indicates Riot places value on user experience and feedback—qualities vital for contemporary action role-playing games. This recruitment approach indicates the Shanghai studio is avoiding hasty moves toward production but rather investing time in prototyping and validating fundamental gameplay mechanics before expanding operations further.
- Strong proficiency in action and ARPG design mechanics needed
- Combat feel and player responsiveness given priority over mechanical balance
- AI systems development points to likely single-player or cooperative focus
- Unreal chosen as primary development engine
- Early-stage prototyping phase suggests considerable time until market launch
Expanding the League of Legends Franchise
Riot Games has consistently positioned League of Legends as the centrepiece of an sprawling multimedia franchise, yet the company’s gaming ambitions have traditionally centred on the original MOBA title itself. The announcement of a secret action RPG in development marks a major pivot in strategy, suggesting Riot intends to diversify its gaming portfolio across different gameplay styles rather than depending exclusively on League’s competitive ecosystem. This approach mirrors established series like The Elder Scrolls or Final Fantasy, where a main entry coexists alongside spin-offs that explore different gameplay styles. By creating an ARPG situated in Runeterra, Riot can capitalise on the extensive mythology and established character base whilst attracting players who prefer single-player or co-operative experiences over competitive multiplayer.
The timing of these advancements is especially significant given Riot’s extensive franchise growth plans. Alongside the action role-playing game project, the company has poured significant investment in the long-in-development League of Legends MMO, recruiting Raymond Bartos from World of Warcraft to speed up development following a significant reset in 2024. This dual-track approach suggests Riot is working towards an ambitious vision for Runeterra’s interactive landscape. Rather than competing directly with one another, these projects appear designed to serve different audience segments—the MMO serving persistent-world enthusiasts whilst the ARPG caters to players pursuing story-driven, action-focused adventures. Together, they represent Riot’s most aggressive expansion of the League franchise past its MOBA foundations.
| Project Type | Current Status |
|---|---|
| League of Legends ARPG | Early-stage R&D at Shanghai studio |
| League of Legends MMO | Active production with new leadership |
| Original League of Legends MOBA | Ongoing development and seasonal updates |
| Runeterra IP Expansion | Multiple projects across different genres |
Schedule and Future Development
Whilst the job postings offer intriguing evidence of the ARPG’s existence, Riot Games has upheld complete silence concerning an official announcement or launch timeframe. The contract positions posted to the company’s careers page suggest the project remains in early-stage research and development, suggesting it could be years distant from launch. Industry observers versed in game development cycles note that hiring for essential positions such as Combat Game Designer commonly represents the beginning stages of production rather than an upcoming release. This careful tempo allows Riot to establish robust combat mechanics and gameplay systems before expanding the team further, a sound method given the demanding market of action RPGs.
The Shanghai studio’s involvement in this project reflects Riot’s global development infrastructure and the studio’s established track record in crafting engaging gameplay experiences. By placing the ARPG project at this location rather than centralising operations at a single headquarters, Riot demonstrates its commitment to distributed development practices that have yielded positive results across its product lineup. The company’s track record with League of Legends suggests gamers will receive a refined, well-designed experience whenever the ARPG finally releases. However, with the MMO also demanding significant resources and attention, the ARPG could not launch until 2027 or afterwards, contingent upon project milestones and Riot’s resource allocation decisions.
What Participants Should Anticipate
Should the ARPG reach completion, players can anticipate a single-player or co-operative action experience situated in the expansive universe of Runeterra, utilising the world’s existing lore and fan-favourite champions. The focus on character design and combat feel suggests Riot seeks to create visceral, skill-based gameplay rather than a conventional dungeon crawler. Fans of story-focused action titles and those looking for a different flavour of League engagement may find the ARPG especially compelling, offering an alternative to the competitive multiplayer focus that has characterised the franchise since its inception.
